Avenge parlayed a great trip into her first graded stakes victory to follow up a sharp optional claiming score earlier in the meet. A winner of three of her first four turf starts going down the hill at Santa Anita, including the Ultrafleet S. last May, the $650,000 Fasig-Tipton August graduate finished sixth after dueling on a quick pace in the GIII Senorita S. in her 3-year-old finale. Finishing fifth in Arcadia's Mizdirection S. May 21 in her 2016 bow, she was a non-factor fifth in the Desert Stormer S. sprinting on dirt June 26. Back to the green here July 24, the dark bay filly registered a game score on the engine, earning a new Beyer top of 94.
Off at 7-1 in this event, Avenge tracked from second under Flavien Prat through moderate splits of :23.26 and :48.23. Moving to take over from pacesetter Gloryzapper (Ghostzapper) at the three-furlong pole, she spun them into the stretch once set down by Prat and opened clear past the eighth pole before digging in late to hold off the closing pair of Finest City and Elektrum (GB), earning a neck triumph over the former.
“We tried her in the mile earlier in the meet and were very happy with that result,” winning trainer Richard Mandella said. “We were kind of worrying about the mile and an eighth, but I thought about it, and 'You know what, we'll never know if we don't try.' That's why we're here. She was doing really well and whenever you've got a good horse that's improving, you never know. I told John Mabee's grandson it was an honor to win this race named for his grandfather. I trained for him and we had a lot of good days together.”
Prat added: “Richard said: 'Just stay calm.' This filly has a little breathing problem and she needs to relax. Today she did. The race came up just the way I'd hoped. We were in a good spot and she was going easy. Then she put in her good run. It worked out perfectly.”
Pedigree Notes:
The winner is a half to Lira (Giant's Causeway), SW, $163,365. Her dam is a half to Grass Skirt (Mr. Prospector), the unraced producer of GSW/GISP Grasshoper (Dixie Union) and GSW Turf War (Dixie Union). Second dam Balinese is a full-sister to MG1SW Mashaallah and GISW Folk Art. Lerici is responsible for a yearling colt by Giant's Causeway and foaled a full-brother to the winner this term.
Sunday, Del Mar
JOHN C. MABEE S.-GII, $202,070, DMR, 9-4, 3yo/up, f/m, 1 1/8mT, 1:48.82, fm.
1–@AVENGE, 119, f, 4, by War Front
1st Dam: Lerici, by Woodman
2nd Dam: Balinese, by Nijinsky II
3rd Dam: Homespun, by Round Table
($650,000 Ylg '13 FTSAUG). O-Ramona S. Bass; B-Lerici
Syndicate (KY); T-Richard E. Mandella; J-Flavien Prat. $120,000.
Lifetime Record: 11-5-0-1, $291,996. *1/2 to Lira (Giant's
Causeway), SW & GSP, 163,365. Werk Nick Rating: C+. Click
for eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
[bullet ad=”gainesway-consigned-by”][bullet ad=”gainesway-hip-453″][bullet ad=”kbif-g2g3″]2–Finest City, 119, f, 4, City Zip–Be Envied, by Lemon Drop Kid.
($50,000 Wlg '12 KEENOV; $85,000 Ylg '13 KEESEP). O-Seltzer
Thoroughbreds; B-HnR Nothhaft Horseracing LLC (PA); T-Ian
Kruljac. $40,000.
[bullet ad=”cobrafarm-pinhook”][bullet ad=”bluewater-shell-big-fish”][bullet ad=”hunter-valley-farm-sold”]3–Elektrum (Ire), 119, m, 5, High Chaparral (Ire)–Carolines
Secret (GB), by Inchinor (GB). (€24,000 RNA Ylg '12 GOFORB;
€27,000 Ylg '12 GOFNOV). O-Hronis Racing LLC; B-Sweet
Caroline Partnership (IRE); T-John W. Sadler. $24,000.
[bullet ad=”guyhubert-privatepurchase”][bullet ad=”irt-shell”]Margins: HD, HF, 1 1/4. Odds: 7.80, 12.20, 6.00.
Also Ran: Keri Belle, Havanna Belle (Ire), Sobradora Inc (Arg), Queen of The Sand (Ire), Gloryzapper, Personal Diary, Prize Exhibit (GB), Nancy From Nairobi (GB), Fresh Feline.
Click for the Equibase.com chart, the TJCIS.com PPs or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. VIDEO, sponsored by Fasig-Tipton.
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